Massaging device



L. COTTON MASSAGING DEVICE May 9, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 3, 1946 w W I May 9, 1950 COTTON 2,506,856

MASSAGING DEVICE Filed Dec. s, 1946 2 Shee'ts-Sheet 2 .Zucy Myra/v,

Patented May 9, 1950 A ENT Massngma DEVICE Lucy: Cotton, Miami, Fla. Angliaahgnhsqemhex 3, denialNmflkhfiflfl;

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Phis invention relates to neu q massagers and the like, and aims generally toimprove-the same.

In massaging to relieve bodily aches and pains incident to musculan'soreness; neuritis; and other ailments, or for the purpose ofdeveloping- 5 muscles which have becomedebilitated as an aftermath of immobilization or long illness, finger manipulation of the muscles and: tissues; is particularly beneficial; Application of heat in such casesis alsoparticularly eflicacious, andtosome degree the rubbing of the. area withzalconz-v cave body tends to produce a. suction. effect and promote circulation in theaffectedvparct;

As heretofore, practicedthesev treating P310687, dures have been separatelyapplied; The heated or concave body sometimes, employed as; a mass sage, tool, has, uniformly,v been formed; to; be; grasped by the ,handmf mile-practitioner (onpa tient, in the.,case. of, self-treatment); Usually, such body. has been ofwvand-like; formation, with, an elongated: handle, to. be grasped by the. user Sometimes, suchbody has beemhandle -less, andof. approxima ely the, ze Qf1 atflatt ed ennis;- ball In such, case, the bodyhas grasped and: rubbed, against; the: area, being 25 treatedi V req irem t. hat he trument e graspe y 1 5%? h sub tantial igrn i'w cap. This has been, part1 arly tru in treatr. merits in vvhiohl both finger andinstrnn ent Inar. t a ri nipulation are desirable In -suc e reatm nts w er -Wa m he di this factor hasrequi f I 4- strument duringfingen-ina 'pulatiomand oe a tion, of finger, manipulation dlirlllgmselgfithq, plement; In treatments. in which two handsm y. be mp oyed, eve wh n t iipne la n; idext m t as u r atut e med;- be employed for each operation, And in, he c-as e, of a strongly right handed or left hande a itionsr, rl nw uai qn i lwhi hnonah. .i m e. iiiiioyd t up or themem st eingl eated ept en. e .l'ewei e echmsmenas nt eredlwith v It aEm he sent ive qoyercome h k ineimmeme s q n im ,to,bwt daam n mved ns ument ?l$ hiel mem ,me n ed, t at? n t he hand: nn n a q i im ltane us fin e an l i stwnnntetmamnz ulation of th affected area.

w n, nst umen s are used, to per-form, i: tan au timer, and; nstrument aninulationl, of the area un er, treatment, theprovisionot a almrcunp mas eur. a ta hable o he palm and f iiir ng, n grasp ng. bx; tnecflnsers, sqi hat the. fin ers a e left free ar. fingers manipulation. an: ur t. t us Q he ns i ment; e. izroviision in such an instrument of means for securing it in the palm withoutiinterferingg Withfreedam of the hand for finger" manipulation; the; provision of advantageous means, preferably electrical, for heating theitreating surfaceof-such: aninstrument; and-the provision in suchamassaging device of means; for controllingthe condudtorcord of j the; electrically energized? masseur to; prevent interference thereof with the mas sagingoperatiom Further objects and advantages of the-inven-- tion, as" will appear fromthe following; description; or: a preferred embodiment thereof, res-ideinthe provision of particular; features and? combination's of parts, contributing -to -the realizationof -theaforesaid objects,

Inthe accompanying drawings-0f such= preferred' embodiment:

Figs. 1 and 2 are side elevation and bottom plan views. of a device according: to the invention, showing. the-securementthereofrduring use-l Fig 3 a detailed-sectional .view throughthe masseurl-o Fig. iris-a plan .viewof the: heating; and-'thermoa static elements;-

Fig. 5; is a detailed View v of themeans=f0r con+- trolling the .cordin-thelcarpal region;

Rig: 62 15 a .similarrviewtof a -modified cord con-fl troll-ingjmeans.

As :is clearly shownin Figs. 1 and =2, the device of this; invention generally comprises-r a: palms-i. cupped treating member on masseur A adapted; to, be, securedin thee hollow of.- tha hand under; the.imetacarpusrsotasi.to leave the phalangesiora fin IS;free;for.1 di italmaninulation.1 Iii-themes,- ferredgform, them etacarpally received masseur; A51 iscz ketando is a r andi-isiprovidedzmith; a secnring devic on in un 'ng ;eler nen11'B which; e t ndsi rs ardlyifr nl n d egoitthetmemhen n; me pwardly; et eens he er -whi 5.6 e i heneetrearw tdlxg longi e e n ih v and b t een h ones t'i hei-me carpusr.

v The forward; and 1 rearward-,- extens ons." f, fi-

The carpal portion of the cord 0, adjacent the I wrist of the user, is provided with a cord controlling means E, to prevent the cord from interfering with the massaging operation. In the form shown, this controlling means E comprises a slide member, through which the cord is loosely passed, this slide member being provided with a wristband F, hereinafter described, for securing it to the wrist of the practitioner.

As is well shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the metacarpal disc A is preferably circular and has a diameter and thickness adapting it to be snugly nested in the hollow of the palm. A diameter of about two inches is suitable, and a thickness of a quarter to a half-inch, more or less, may be employed. The disc A is suitably secured to the support I3, as by welding, soldering, threading and sweating, or otherwise. The cord C for long life, comfort and safety, is preferably asbestos insulated and rubber covered, or equivalent thereto, and the plug D is likewise preferably formed of or covered with soft, rubber-like material.

The disc A in the form shown has a convex top surface Ill (Fig. 3) and a concave under surface I I, and has smoothly rounded side edges I2. The disc A is thus adapted to fit comfortably in the metacarpal arch, to massage smoothly the area being treated, and to have a suction effect thereon which stimulates the circulation and tends to open the pores.

The disc A in this electrically heated form, is hollow and encloses a heating element I3. This element may be suitably heat insulated with respect to the portions of the disc A contacted by the hand of the practitioner, as by asbestos or other suitable heat insulating material I4. The heating element I3 may consist of resistance heating coils I5, which may be wound on a suitable frame of mica, asbestos, or other heat resistant insulatin material, with terminals at I6. Where the heating coils are not otherwise insulated, as in the form shown, a thin asbestos sheet I! may be interposed between them and the wall II (Fig. 3). In the preferred form, the lower wall portion II of the masseur A is springhinged to the upper portion I0 thereof, the joint being at the edge I2 in non-scratching relation to the area being treated, and being nicked at I8 to enable opening of the case, as by the fingernail, to give access to the heating element.

The heating element I3 is so designed as to raise the temperature of the bottom wall II of the masseur to the vicinity of 130 F. This degree of heat is not injurious, and has been found beneficial in treatments of the class concerned. In the preferred embodiment, a thermostatic element I9 is provided in the disc A and exposed in heat exchange relation to the bottom wall II to hold the temperature at the desired level.

The cord C, in the form shown, is soldered or otherwise connected to the heating coil terminals It (with the thermostat I9 interposed in one of the leads), and passes through the tube B, as shown.

At its carpal portion, which lies adjacent the wrist of the user, the cord C carries the supporting. means E'shown as comprising a ribbonslide 20, mounted on the elastic band or ribbon F, and carrying a cord embracing member 2|, shown as tubular and as having rounded flaring ends to avoid cord breakage, and through which cord C is freely slidable. The members 20 and 2| may be secured together in any suitable manner, as by welding, or the supporting means E may be made in other forms.

As shown in Fig. 5, the ribbon or elastic F is preferably provided with a, tightener 22 and hook and loop members 23 and 24 so that it may be snugly fitted to the wrist. In this manner the carpal portion of the cord C is secured to the wrist, and prevented from interfering with the massaging operation. The supporting means E, F secured on the cord cannot become lost therefrom, as the plug D cannot pass through the member 2 I.

In the modification, Fig. 6, which shows another illustrative form of means for supporting the carpal portion of the cord C, the cord holder E comprises a plaque 20a which may have smoothly rounded corners and edges and be curved to fit the wrist. This plaque 20a has suitably secured to it the flaring tubular cord embracing member 2Ia and means, shown as six pins 25 having enlarged heads, for securing the plaque to the wrist embracing means F, herein shown as made up of coil-sprin strands 26, having loops at their ends secured to the pins 25 and to similar pins 2'!- which may be carried by a clasp device 23', 24' when such device is used. This arrangement is similar in operation and advantages to that of Fig. 5, and being of all metal construction, is easily kept clean and non-odorous. Its parts, like all the exposed metal parts of the device, present corrosion and tarnish resistant surfaces. To this end the various parts of the device may be formed of stainless steel, or may be plated with chromium or other suitable non-tarnishable metal.

From the foregoing description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be apparent that the fundamental features thereof may be embodied in forms other than those selected to illustrate the same, and that the described embodiments are illustrative and not restrictive of the invention, thescope of which is pointed out in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A massaging device comprising a masseur in the form of a disc sized to nest in the hollow of the hand under the metacarpal arch, said disc having a mounting element which, when the disc is nested in the metacarpal arch, extends from its forward edge parallel to the metacarpal bones, upward between the third and fourth phalanges, and rearwardly along the metacarpus, to hold the device in place while leaving the phalanges free for digital manipulation of an area being treated.

2. A massaging device comprising a masseur in the form of a disc sized to nest in the hollow of the hand under the metacarpal arch, said disc having a mounting element which, when i the disc is nested in the metacarpal arch, extends 5 6 from its forward edge parallel to the metacarpal bones, upward between the third and fourth UNITED STATES PATENTS phalanges, and rearwardly along the metacarpus, Numbel' Name Date an electrical heating element in said disc, and 1,234,619 Broad July 1917 a conductor cord therefor extending through said 5 1,498,630 Clement June 1924 mounting element and insulated therefrom. 2,067,979 Newton 1937 LUCY COTTON- FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date REFERENCES CITED 708,623 France May 4, 1931 The following references are of record in the 10 file of this patent: 

